A Real Ending
by Marshall Banana
Summary: What happens after Oot. Or at least how I think it should be. ZxL fluff, major fluff so you no likey, you no ready! R&R PLZ!


A Real Ending  
  
By: Byakko of the West  
  
Disclaimer: Nintendo owns Zelda and all its characters, not me!  
  
Author's Notes: It'll probably be a one-shot, not sure yet though. Yeah, so, this is my first Zelda fic so please be nice. I'm also not sure if at the end of OoT, Link forgot about the future or he remembers traveling in time so I'm just going to say that he doesn't know and no one else either!  
  
~*~  
  
"I thought you would come." The heavenly voice of young Princess Zelda, queen-to-be of Hyrule, came from her soft lips that smiled at the figure that stood before her.  
  
The once -or will be, depending on how you look at it- Hero of Time gulped nervously. Of course, anyone would be nervous while standing before such a beautiful young woman and who held so much power. Link took a step forward, unsure of the meaning behind her words. Had she known he was sneaking around the courtyards? No, that wasn't possible. He had come here because two men in the market place had dared him to, one of them saying that if he couldn't get in, a boy defiantly couldn't. He hadn't expected to see the princess herself or for her to be waiting for him. "I- I'm sorry for the intrusion, Your Highness. I-I must have turned down the wrong corridor." The Kokiri child a hand behind his head and scratched it awkwardly.  
  
The girl stepped down from the pedestal and stood in front of Link. "There is no need for you to apologize. I was fairly bored with waiting for my father to take me out for a walk, I'm enjoying your company already." He eyes twinkled at him and he blushed. "What is your name?"  
  
He lowered his eyes to the ground in embarrassment. "L-Link."  
  
She approached the tunic-clad boy and held her hand out to him. "You needn't use formalities from now on if we are to be friends, isn't that correct?" he nodded taking her hand in his. "You may call me Zelda, Link." She watched as the first smile she'd seen from him illuminated his face and found herself melting. He knelt on one knee and kissed the back of her hand, obviously more comfortable with her presence.  
  
He released her hand as he stood back up and smiled at her. "It's a pleasure to see you in person, Pr-Zelda." He blushed lightly at his mistake but shook it off.  
  
The Hylian smiled back at him. "And a pleasure to meet you too, Link." She was about to lead him over to the fountain but was interrupted as her father entered the room.  
  
"Why, Zelda, who is your friend there? I don't believe I've met him before." The King smiled as he walked towards the two children.  
  
Zelda smiled happily at him and pulled a reluctant Link with her. "This is Link, father. He's from the forest."  
  
Link sweated mildly. Meeting Princess Zelda was once thing but the King himself? He wasn't used to meeting such mighty people at all. He bowed low in respect and tried not to faint on the spot.  
  
The King raised a suspicious brow at him. "The forest you say?" he smirked. "I was just informed that a few guards had spotted a forest-child in the gardens but he got away. You wouldn't happen to be that child, would you Link?" he teased.  
  
The young warrior raised his arms in defense. "N-no sir, well, I mean, that is, I didn't-" he was cut off from his rambling as Zelda giggled softly and her father chuckled loudly.  
  
"I believe more guards are in order if a mere boy is able to get into my castle, ne?" he scrutinized Link for a moment. "But I highly doubt you're just any ordinary boy. Aren't forest children supposed to be accompanied by their very own fairy?"  
  
The boy looked down sadly. "I don't have a fairy, I'm an outcast..." he felt tears burning the back of his eyes but held them back, he wouldn't let Royals see him cry.  
  
The Ruler placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then, why don't you stay in the castle?" when Link looked up at him in surprise, he smiled. "You were able to get by all my guards, just when security had been stepped up. My men could train you and you could grow up to be Zelda's personal guard."  
  
The said girl looked up at the boy who stood next to her and her eyes board into his hopefully. "Would you..."  
  
Link was speechless. Him, the personal guard for Princess Zelda? This must be a dream...'Then don't wake me up!' he thought and smiled up at the King. "I would be honored, Your Highness."  
  
The large man laughed merrily. "Good, why don't you come with Zelda and I to Lon Lon Ranch and we could get you a horse, then we'll find a suitable sword for you. Tomorrow, your training will begin."  
  
~*~  
  
*~*Five years later...*~* (A/N: I know, I know, really big time warp but I'm just writing mush that comes to the top of my head so don't sue me or flame me or whatever you plan on doing XP!)  
  
"Siiiiah!" Link's battle cry rang out over the fields of Hyrule as his sword swung around in a circle and sliced three stalchilds. The bones of the monsters fell to the ground before burning up in blue flames. When he was sure there were no more, he ran to his horse and leapt up onto it. He pulled the reigns and Epona took off towards the castle. When he arrived, he looked to the East and saw that the first rays of the sun were peaking up over death mountain but the sun hadn't risen to its fullest yet. He jumped off Epona and handed the reigns to a nearby guard and took off through the market place and towards the castle. He nodded a greeting to the guard by the gate entrance and ran up the trail to the castle walls. When he got to the small drawbridge, he was met up with Princess Zelda who stood glaring at him.  
  
"You," she pointed an accusing finger at his panting form. "Are late."  
  
He looked over his shoulder to see the sun just barely peeking over the hilltops. He grinned boyishly at her. "No...I'm not...I...said...I'd be back...by sunrise..." he got out between gasps for breath. With his energy draining quickly, he fell to the grassy floor and laid on it, trying to regain his breath.  
  
She smiled and knelt beside him and smoothed his bangs from his eyes. "Sorry for snapping at you. Welcome back, I've missed you." She whispered.  
  
He opened his eyes and smiled at her. With what little energy he still had, he pulled himself over to her and placed his head in her lap, falling asleep quickly. He had been visiting old friends from his old home, the Kokiri forest and had promised to be back by sunrise the next morning. He was bombarded with questions from the small children, asking about his adventures and life in the palace, that he had lost track of time and hadn't even got any sleep.  
  
Zelda smiled at his sleeping from and motioned for two guards to take him to his chambers so he could receive a well-deserved rest. She smiled as they took him away, struggling at the weight of the boy.  
  
~*~  
  
A few hours later, Link awoke to find himself in his bed and not knowing how he got there. 'Let's see...I went to Kokiri forest, got no sleep...came back to the palace and...oh yeah! Zelda met up with me and I fell asleep on her!' he smiled and sat up in bed. He looked down at the dirty and-he leaned down and took a whiff of it- smelly tunic. He grimaced and pulled the strings away, loosening the shirt enough to pull it over his head. He threw it away somewhere on the floor and jumped out of bed, walking over to the small dresser he had. He had just finished pulling on a new red one when Zelda poked her head in.  
  
When she saw that he was awake, she smiled at him. "I thought I heard your dodongo feet rustling around in here." She closed the door behind her and sat in a small wicker rocking chair across from his bed.  
  
He chuckled lightly and sat on the bed, facing the princess. "Have you anything planned for today?"  
  
She looked up at the ceiling as she rocked the chair back and forth. "My father hasn't said anything about today so I assume there's nothing going on." She looked back at him, smiling again. "Why have you asked?"  
  
He picked his boots off from the floor and pulled them onto his feet. "I want to show you something."  
  
Her eyes glistened happily. "An adventure perhaps?" she queered hopefully.  
  
He laughed and shook his head, standing up and pulling her from the chair. "No but I'm sure you'll like it." He took her hand in his and pulled her along through the door and down the hallway.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked as they reached the outside gate and spotted Epona chewing on an asleep guard's hair.  
  
"Lake Hylia." He held out his hand when they reached Epona, offering to help Zelda up.  
  
Instead, she brushed his hand away and mounted atop the horse who neighed in response. She swung her legs to one side of the horse, facing Link, so her dress wouldn't ride and smirked down at the teen, waiting for him to jump up.  
  
The warrior chuckled and shook his head, grabbing hold of the saddle and pulling himself up on to the horse, in front of Zelda. "This'll be an early birthday gift since I'm sure you'll like it." He looked back and grinned before pulling the reigns, steering Epona in the direction of Lake Hylia.  
  
Nearly half an hour later, they arrive at the water mass and he helped Zelda down from the steed, knowing she'd trip if she tried to get down on her own in that dress. He took her hand, smiling at her, they pulled her across the rickety bridges to stand on the small platform in the middle of the lake.  
  
She turned to him after a few minutes of waiting and placed her hands on her hips, scowling impatiently at him. "What is this surprise you've been telling me about?"  
  
He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Just hold on, I'm sure they'll be here soon."  
  
"They?" she raised an eyebrow at him in questioning. However, before he could answer her, a large gust appeared and the two friends heard the call of a large beast from somewhere over the cliffs encircling the lake. A moment later, a huge flock of humanly looking birds swooped above them. Zelda watched wide-eyed as their arms flapped, keeping them in air as Link waved his arms around madly, looking like an idiot, yelling something out. When she noticed that he'd stopped his excessive yelling, one of the more godly birds stood before them.  
  
"Link? It's been awhile." The princess' heart pounded in her rib cage as the bird's wings reclined into his arms and she gripped the sleeve of Link's tunic in fear.  
  
The man smiled at her then turned to the winged-beast. "Rooro, meet Princess Zelda. Zelda, Prince Rooro of the Watarara Race." He smiled, stepping back from the two.  
  
Rooro laughed and extended his hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Princess." He grinned suddenly. "Say, if I'm a Prince and you're a Princess, shouldn't we marry?" He looked to Link for his reaction and was satisfied with that glare he was receiving.  
  
Zelda laughed, oblivious of her enraged friend, and shook the bird's hand. "It's a pleasure." She finally looked to Link, about to question his knowledge of this race, but was met up with his fuming face. "Link, what's the matter?"  
  
He blinked and looked to Zelda and turned red again, this time from embarrassment. "Uh...nothing's wrong!" he laughed, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand.  
  
Her brows furrowed in speculance but let it go. "How do you know of the Watarara?"  
  
All joking aside, Link smiled softly at her. "Remember when I took a few days off last year to have some time by myself?"  
  
"Hai." 'I missed you terribly...' she thought, her eyes saddening but her other features remained the same.  
  
He picked up a stone from the ground. "I came here to fish but I caught a bird instead of a fish." He tossed the rock up and down. "Rooro got separated from the other Watarara and stayed with me for a little while." He casually threw it into the lake, skipping along five times before sinking, causing ripples to happen.  
  
Rooro smiled as Zelda nodded, understanding finally. He looked up as he heard his mother's call then back to Link. "It was nice seeing you again Link. And a great honor to have met the ruler of the land. But, I must be off now." His wings came out from their hiding place in his arms and he flew up a bit to hover a few feet above them. "I'll see you around next year!"  
  
"Bye!" the two waved as he joined the last members of his race, watching until the last was out of sight.  
  
Zelda turned to Link and smiled. "Thank you so much for showing me Rooro and the others. It was quite a sight to see those...creatures?" she sat down on the grass.  
  
He turned to Epona and retrieved a rolled up blanket from the saddle, sitting beside her. "Think nothing of it, Zelda. I thought you might like him." He remembered Rooro's words at the beginning and growled quietly.  
  
The blond girl giggled softly and pulled the blanket from his grasp, unraveling it and wrapping half of it around herself. "You are incredibly cute, did you know that?"  
  
He blushed from her comment and took the other part of the blanket, covering himself. "No..." he mumbled, looking everywhere but at her.  
  
She smiled and scooted closer to him, pulling the blanket around her, resting her head on his shoulder as the sun began its descend on the horizon. "I still remember the first day I ever met you..." she whispered, afraid that if she talked too loud, it would break the tranquility of the moment.  
  
His heart was beating a mile a minute in his ribcage (A/N: technically, the heart is located in the diaphragm, not the rib cage! Boo yah!) and he shuffled nervously. He very much enjoyed having her this close. Too much perhaps. He had long ago realized she wasn't just a friend to him anymore, but much more than that. "S-so do I..." 'Tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her...' the little voice in the back of his mind was getting a little too loud for comfort...  
  
She looked up at him when she felt his heart rate a little too fast than normal and he quickly averted his gaze from hers. "What's wrong, Link?" she brought a pale hand to his red forehead. "You're burning up! Are you sick?"  
  
His blush intensified tenfold, thinking about what he was about to say or do. "I...uh, I...I really like you, Zelda." She smiled at him sadly and she opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. "More...than just a simple friend..." he trailed off, his face turned completely from her view.  
  
She gasped silently at the words from his mouth. More than a friend? Than, that meant that he felt the same towards her? She smiled and reached a hand out to turn his face to her. Though his bangs cased a shadow over his eyes, she could tell he was embarrassed and -was it angry?- at himself. She smiled and pushed his bangs away with her other hand. "I like you the same way, Link." He looked up at her in surprise and her smile broadened. "I have for a long time now."  
  
His heart was beating quickly again and she could tell from his deep, ragged breaths. "You...do? I-I thought you'd never like me like that..." he smiled back shakily.  
  
Both her hands cupped his face for a moment before watching them run down his neck to place them firmly on his chest, her right above his heart. "And I you." She looked up at him, her eyes showing all the emotions that ran through her thoughts.  
  
He brought his right hand up to cup her cheek, running his hand along its smooth surface. "I...think I'm in love with you." His eyes bored into hers, their gaze never wavering.  
  
"And I you." She smiled again and threw herself into his arms, hers encircling around his neck, holding him close. She felt his come around her waist to hold her against his chest and she removed his Kokiri hat then proceeded to untie the small elastic holding his medium length hair together, running her hands through it freely. "I've waited so long to be in your arms, Link." She whispered into his ear before kissing the pointy tip.  
  
The action must have set something off because a second later, he pulled back only to pull her to him again, this time their lips connecting. Her eyes were wide with shock for a moment but then she settled into the kiss, inexperienced and trembling kisses being passed back and forth. That night, passion filled the air.  
  
~*~  
  
(A/N: I'm sorely, very sorely, tempted to stop here but I don't plan on making this an on-going story so I'll just finish it up. ^^;)  
  
His eyes widened suddenly, his brow dripping with sweat as he panted, staring up at the dark blue sky.  
  
He remembered.  
  
Everything. Navi. The Great Deku Tree. Meeting Zelda. The Gorons. Princess Ruto and the other Zoras. Traveling through time. Beating all the temples and freeing the sages. The battle with Ganondorf and his true self, Gannon. And, finally...Zelda, sending him back...  
  
Why had he remembered all of this just now? What had he done last night that triggered his memory? 'Let's see...visited Kokiri forest, got home, got much needed sleep, brought Zelda to Lake, saw Roo- wait! Where's Zelda?!' his mental question was answered by something shifting on him, his worries gone instantly.  
  
He smiled and looked down at the sleeping form lying on his chest. 'Maybe that's why all that came back, I wonder if she remembers...'. He pulled the blanket around the princess' body closer to keep her from the chilly morning winds, wounding his arms around her.  
  
She awoke seconds later from his rustling and stiffened when she felt the body she was using as a pillow before relaxing once she realized whom it was. She raised her head and stared at him for a moment, blinking repeatedly. 'I guess she's remembering too...'  
  
"Link?" her voice was hesitant and he wondered why she was scared. "I...had the weirdest dream last night..." she trailed off, biting her lower lip as her eyes became downcast.  
  
He chuckled lightly and placed a strand of hair behind her long ear. "I am quite sure it wasn't a dream, Zelda." He smiled when she looked up at him in surprise yet confusion. "I remember everything, just like you do."  
  
After a moment of looking into his eyes, she smiled and lowered her head, placing her forehead on his chest. "You weren't supposed to." She mumbled into the crook of his neck, her breath sending shivers up and down his skin.  
  
He sighed happily and tightened his arms around her waist. "But it shows how much we were meant to be together." He closed his eyes, a huge grin plastered on his lips. "I love you Zelda..."  
  
She giggled and snuggled closer to him, pulling the blanket up around her shoulders just as the first rays of the morning sun rose from the hilltops. "I love you too Link..."  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Notes: FLUFF! Lots and lots of fluff. But, some people like fluff, ne? Please please please please review, this is my first Zelda fic and I'm not sure if it was any good so please tell me!  
  
R&R PLZ! 


End file.
